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AVM Peter J ‘Sam’ Goddard CB AFC

Alan Pollock got in contact to pass on details for this Wednesday’s Service for Air Vice-Marshal Peter John (‘Sam’) GODDARD CBE AFC. Sam died at home in Felixstowe on Thursday 11th February aged 72. Dearly loved husband of Val, father of Martin and David, father-in-law of Sally and dear Poppop of William, Harry and Lucy, much loved brother and uncle.
This Service to celebrate the life of ‘Sam’ is to be held at St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge, Suffolk on Wednesday, 2nd March at 2.30 p.m. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to Woolverstone Wish, Ipswich Hospital and the RAF Benevolent Fund, may be sent c/o Gordon Rodwell Funeral Directors, 79 St. Andrews Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7BW (01394) 671999.

Without wishing to bother the family, I pass here a brief resumé of an earlier Who’s Who, as two friends, who knew Sam well beyond West Raynham and 54(F) Sqns, were away and unavailable to add more background.

Sam left Nottingham High School and in the Who’s Who firstly for brevity lists qwi, ndc, aws, rcds, FRAeS. & after his commissioning in March, 1963 and flying training was at Chivenor 229 Hunter OCU on 109 Course from November, 1964 to February 1965, before being posted to 54(F) Sqn Hunter F/GA 9s (with No.1 (F) as the pairof NATO mobile squadrons) in 38 Group at West Raynham. He married Valerie in 1966 and in November 1967 began No. 40 Fighter Recce Course before eventually 4(AC) Sqns on Hunter FR10s in Germany at Gütersloh. [Tim Webb off, one imagines,Sam’s original info, mentions 8 Sqn in between 54 and IV(AC) Sqns but this is not in the Who’s Who & perhaps was a short period only].

After time on 233 Harrier OCU at Wittering, a switch to 226 Jaguar OCU followed before Sam’s appointment as OC 54 (F) Jaguars 1979-80 at Coltishall. After a tour at MOD 1981-83 he became the Gp Capt Station Commander and OC Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment RAF Cottesmore 1984-86, from where Val remembers a splendid Tornado- souvenir part presentation from the German Tornado instructors at TTTE, still held by the family -she already has had letters too in from the Italian Air Force component to recall that important period.

After RCDS in 1988, Sam went as Director of Air Armament 1989-93 before becoming Deputy Commander International Combined Operations Centre 4 1993-96. Taking over from AVM Peter Dodworth as Senior RAF Directing Staff1.A, back at the Royal College of Defence, Sam’s final tour there lasted from 1st July 1996 to 6th January 1998 and final retirement in April. He became Chairman Seckford Foundation 2000-? (Free Schools Trust ‘a foundation for life’} and listed his recreations as Golf (for some time running the Aircrew Association Golfers before Daid Drake) and Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club , gardening & walking.

Coincidentally a photo of then Fg Off Sam Goddard and Wg Cdr John Howe AFC on 40 FR Course in November 1967 is included separately in the Attachment, courtesy of Gp Capt Tim Webb’s of great foresight in rescuing the Chivenor course photographs,.

Also included for general interest are
(a) the RAF Cottesmore Station Commanders listed here in an amalgam often with later ranks held
( b) RCDS senior staf